Interesting details

On the Dobrić Square, above the tank which in the past, besides Four draw wells, was one of the important sources of fresh water, we can find the Rebus which consists of a series of relief depictions of wings, hair, two money bags, three dice and a skull. We assume that the solution of the rebus is read in Italian "Dalle false bocche sorte la morte", translated “From false mouths, comes death”. In the 18th century, the building on which the rebus is found was a city theatre.

On the southern part of Dobrić Square is the 14th century City Gate (Porta alla Marina, Gate of Mercy). The gate was part of the medieval defence walls from the first half of the 14th century which, right by this gate, due to the poor base soil, were fortified with wooden pylons. Today’s gate is the result of a number of subsequent reconstruction works and their originality has been lost.

The 14th century City Gate below the Duke’s palace (Porta del palazzo) is part of the southern façade of the palace. Behind the gate which unfortunately lost their Gothic arch during reconstruction work, is a domed passage with a characteristic broken arched ceiling. In place of the broken arch, during the more recent reconstruction, a horizontal stone beam/architrave was added with baroque decoration.   Above the gates a medieval relief with a figure of St. Michael, the city of Šibenik’s patron saint has been incorporated. In Austrian maps from the 19th century this door is mentioned as being butcher shop’s door.

The New door is located between the duke's and bishop's palace: the door is distinguished with renaissance characteristics, built in the 16th century using the bunjeta technique with an arch aperture. On the door's keystone is the emblem of the Šibenik duke and captain, Giacomo Pisani (1570). In the door corpus, above the arch, are the emblems of Antonio Calbo (duke of Šibenik from 1486 until 1489) and Giambattista Calbo (duke of Šibenik from 1567 until 1569). On the inside part of the door a memorial board has been engraved, dedicated to the Dalmatian provveditore, Leonardo Foscolo, responsible for Šibenik’s defence in the Cretan War (from 1646 to 1669). The memorial board was later destroyed.

On the corners of some old Šibenik houses there are rounded columns at various heights, sometimes having only a capital at the top and others with a hump above the capital. They are rare and usually very low corner columns with no function at all. In the area of the historical centre there are a total of 26 corner columns. They can only be found in a few towns on the eastern part of Adriatic coast in such a large number. In Split and Trogir there are just a few older corner columns and the custom of their placement on buildings spread all the way to the north. They can be found in Venice or, for example in Poreč where they are positioned on two or on all four corners of the house and dispersed from the street pavement to the roof chaplet. However, it seems that Šibenik is full of these columns thus proving the fact that most of these columns are located in central Dalmatia.
Šibenik’s corner columns have been preserved in the gothic and renaissance style. Others can be found that were created later, up until the 19th century, but those differ in height. Sometimes they are just along the first few metres attached to the corner of the building, whilst one of them is 10 metres and 90 centimetres high. It is the highest Šibenik corner column and is located on Divnić palace (on the right side of the Town Hall). The corner columns represented a building decoration and protected the functional corners of the house from street traffic.

In the medieval period, on the square in front of the “Medulić” coffee bar (the Square of the Fallen Šibenik fighters) there used to be a small market (platea). The small market operated until the 13th December 1943 when it was destroyed together with the surrounding houses during an air bombing attack. On the corner of the former medieval house, measures for length were chiselled out – the Šibenik and Venetian stick above which today there is a small chapel. Merchants had to make their measures exactly based on the sample chiselled in the stone in accordance with these measurements and were warned by a chiselled cross between the two measurements, as a symbol and guarantee of public government. The Šibenik stick was 117.2 cm long and was divided into smaller measurements: foot, fist and finger.

On the ground floor of the palace, on the western corner of Medulić Square and Kalelarga, there are two stone containers. One has been chiselled with the inscription “Amor di cani”. People used to leave water there for cats and dogs, especially in the summer months, during the dry periods, when the appearance of rabies and other diseases threatened. These containers served as prevention and for maintaining health as it known that in animals suffering from rabies hydrophobia, a fear of water can often be seen, and in this way sick animals could be recognized and prevented from spreading further disease. It is thought that these stone containers date back to the 18th century.

On the south-eastern part of the Trg Republike Square a small renaissance lodge has been preserved in which the municipality's officer held auction sales. The central lodge's column was used as a “colonna d’infamia” – pillar of shame, the so called berlina. Ligature was a form of physical punishment which was usually used for those who had not paid their fines, or had used profanity and perjury. Besides being exposed on the pillar of shame, flagellation was often used as a means of repression as well as sealing.  So for serious offenders, an entire day was foreseen at the pillar of shame, on the Veliki trg Square “from sunrise to sunset”.

According to beliefs, this portal belonged to the family house of the great master and cathedral builder, Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac. The portal’s lateral sides are decorated with symbols of sculpture stitched into sheaves, whilst above the door a figure of a bear (bear - Italian orso) can be seen. It is known that Juraj Dalmatinac's successors adopted the surname Orsini and later earned the status of noble family as well. Unfortunately, traces of the house in which Juraj Dalmatinac lived with his family can no longer be seen.

Down the hill-side on which the medieval St. Michael’s fortress was built in the first half of 15th century there was a passage between the fortress and the sea. The passage was protected from attackers coming from the west. The side going to the city was also protected by a high wall. From the sea side, the walls are bonded by a defence wall on which the entrance door is found. Besides the lower doors leading to the protected passage, on the upper level above the rock there is another door with medieval characteristics which are also part of the fortified passage towards the fortress. In historical graphic depictions of Šibenik,the communication passage between the sea and the fortress was known as the “strada del soccorso”/the road to salvation which clearly shows the function of the passage.  
The door that is the entrance to the protected passage towards the castle has construction characteristics that date back to the first half of the 15th century.  The door is missing the horizontal beam with broken stone arch.

Zadar was the first town to have public electric lighting in Dalmatia, obtained by means of a direct current electric power plant. Furthermore, Šibenik was the first town in Dalmatia and in Croatia (as well as being amongst the first in the world) to have introduced alternating electric lighting obtained from the first system that encompassed production (on the Krka River), transmission (to the city of Šibenik) and distribution of electricity (1895).  Dubrovnik was the third town in Dalmatia to have electricity (public lighting since 1901). Zagreb only obtained permanent electric lighting in 1907, Split in 1920 and Osijek only in 1927. Zadar only passed to the use of alternating current in 1932 which is proof that Šibenik, with regard to its electric power supply, was the most developed city in Dalmatia and Croatia.
As far as Šibenik city lighting is concerned, at the beginning it was obtained through 12 arc lamps and with around 216 carbon-filament light bulbs. Arc lamps, of which one replica is presented here, were, due to the strong and concentrated light, found on the most crowded spots in the city Poljana, the coast, the area by the City Hall, the Post Office, Kalelarga etc. Arc lamps were decorated on their edges with elements of historical style that were typical for the end of 19th century.

The first public tap “Rodičevac” was connected to the city aqueduct in 1879 and was named after the king's regent Rodić. Šibenik got running water from the water supply system in 1879, a year before Split did, and five years before Rijeka. The opening of the aqueduct was the prerequisite for better use of water in both public and private buildings. It was also of extreme importance for the protection of buildings from fires. Until then the more important facilities, both public and private, used water mainly in the traditional way. This included the placing of water containers in the attic from where water fell free and entered the taps on lower floors.

The portal was part of the palace owned by an unknown noble family. In accordance with the use of town decoration elements and the means of elaboration, this door dates back to the early 15th century. Doorjambs have capitals with floral decorations. Throughout the entire height of the doorjamb there is a decorative small pillar with a capital comprising decoration made of a series of petals. On each side of the doorjamb capital is a single human figure, probably placed there at a later date. The portal lunette is made up of three parts. In the central field is the emblem of the family on an inclined quadrangular shield with a figure of a dog. Above it is a mantle with a horse’s head. The family emblem is protected at the sides by armoured soldiers.

The votive relief of Šibenik’s doctor, the first city surgeon, can be found at St. Barbara’s Church and represents the figure of a kneeling doctor Marko who ordered construction of this relief in 1419 as a votive gift. Expression of care for human health in old Šibenik was constantly paid to doctors employed by the municipality in the 14th century at the latest. Under a gothic single-light window, created by the master Bonino from Milan, there is a votive chapel, which is the work of an unknown master where the high relief of Our Lady with a Child in her arms can be found. Next to them is the kneeling figure of Šibenik's doctor Marko along which the Latin inscription: MCCCCXVIIII Ego Marcus medicum de Sibenico hoc opus feci fieri in memoriam et pro remissione pecatorum meorum flows which translated means: “I, Marko, doctor of Šibenik, ordered this work of art in 1419  in memory and as a liberation from my sins."

In the shade of the arch attached to the northern, lateral façade of the City Hall, stands an inscription made by the Šibenik count, Alvis Venier, from 1530s, from the period when the renaissance City Hall was built. The following text is inscribed: “Hard rock once stood here, but with the care of the good mayor, the stone has become a plain path”. The text is considered to be the oldest public written monument with regard to the communal arrangement of a town street. Above the inscription is the count’s emblem that is hung on stone nails (the way which was common for “hanging” medieval emblems, particularly during the gothic period) and framed by pillars with a base containing typical renaissance profiles.

Portal with an emblem of an unknown family.
The portal has not been preserved in its original shape. Doorjambs and the part above the portal door were probably part of another portal. The upper part above the door and the lunette where the emblem of the unknown noble family is situated are one unit. The use of oak leaves by the shield with the family emblem, blind arcades on the architrave, petal decorations and miniature flowers on the broken arch are recognizable decorations which were used by the constructors of Šibenik cathedral. For this reason, the creator of this portal should be searched amongst them.

The entire construction period of the magnificent cathedral marked the appearance of fresh renaissance spirit into this town. In this Šibenik renaissance, as well as in other parts, medieval elements of the concept of reality were widely diffused. A number of portals appeared with simple, common human messages in Latin, engraved using the finest graphic manner.
As the number of stone portraits carved by Juraj Dalmatinac on the edges of the apses of the Šibenik’s unrepeatable cathedral announced the new, completely free sculpting experience of the inhabitants of a certain town, so has the Latin renaissance inscription in Šibenik expressed the freed consciousness of its citizens who were left to the dreams of a renaissance and humanist world.

St. Chrysogonus’ Church is the oldest preserved consecrated facility in Šibenik and dates back to the 12th century. Throughout history it has also been called the church of St. Anthony the Abbot. It was built in the Romanic style and at the same time is one of the rare preserved buildings of its kind in Šibenik.  The sacristy was built later. On the south-western corner of the church a walled up portal can be seen which was once reachable by means of the stone steps created by A. Busat, one of the first constructors of the cathedral. In 1875 Busat’s work of art was removed and only the doorpost with relief of two dressed brothers of Our Lady of Compassion kneeling in front of the monogram of the Holy Virgin was preserved: the brotherhood of Santa Maria Valverde. Up until the Second World War it was used to serve God and was badly damaged in the war. After restoration, it became an exhibition area for the Šibenik City Museum and today hosts the St. Crysogonus Gallery.

In order to protect their palaces from the common people, who, during the night, whilst returning to their homes from the taverns located in the city areas of Dolac and Gorica, used to urinate there, after the 14th century the city gentlemen, initially began building palaces with thick walls and windows raised at least seven metres from the street. However, this proved to be insufficient protection from the bad smell so that later they decided to wall up the most critical locations, such as the corners, to stop people from urinating there.

The medieval defence wall with embrasure dates back to the beginning of the 14th century. The Šibenik fortification system has changed throughout its history. In the 14th century the defence wall was extended from St. Michael’s fortress towards the sea using the rock above the former monastery of St. Catherine which turned towards the east. Part of that medieval wall that dates back to the 14th century has been preserved until today. The wall was partly torn down or was incorporated into the walls of new houses. Part of the wall has remained visible and one of the embrasures in the wall has been preserved.

In St. Crysogonus Street, on the ground floor of a medieval baroque building (Galera) the remains of a preindustrial plant, the medieval tangarija have been found.  The plant was located in the house which even today is connected to the remains of the city tower from one of the construction phases of the city walls.
Traces of limestone burning have been found in the wall within four pools. The pools were walled up with brick and on one of them the remains of a strong metal ring can be seen.
In that period elaborate cloth from Šibenik’s hinterland was arriving (in the form of wooden appliances for the elaboration of cloth) which needed to be coloured. This presumption is also proved by the traces of red colour that is visible on the walls around the pool.
This is the first such finding in the heart of Šibenik’s centre, and is rare for Dalmatia, although similar plants have been found in medieval Dubrovnik.